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Happy holidays!
We at Join Together Northern Nevada have so much to be thankful for this year. We've forged new partnerships, welcomed several new board members, and relocated to the United Way building on Ryland.
Some of this year's highlights include:
- partnering with other community groups to conduct two successful prescription drug drop-off days,
- hosting over a thousand attendees at various training seminars,
- working with the school district to produce a prescription drug training video for parents and students,
- purchasing and operating the Northern Nevada Evaluation Center,
- coordinating local Alcohol Awareness Month and Recovery Month efforts,
- working with the Nevada Statewide Coalition Partnership to develop various drug education campaigns,
- establishing a heroin committee to address heroin prevention.
We want to thank you for your involvement as we look forward to more great partnerships in 2011.
| The Heart of a Parent |
Recently JTNN and a number of our partners held a press conference at Reno City Hall featuring Mayor Bob Cashell, his wife, and his son, Pat who is openly in recovery from an addiction problem. The purpose of the press conference was to raise awareness and money for a heroin prevention campaign that we are putting on early in 2011.
During the event, Mayor Cashell faced the media, who were there in force, and said, "When my son Pat had an addiction problem, his mother and I didn't know what to do." Here is one of the most influential people in the Reno community saying, "I didn't know what to do." With tears in his eyes, the Mayor went on to talk about how his son had a problem for many years but now is sober and doing well.
There's a lot we could talk about in that story but what really reaches out to me is the heart of a parent.
When a child, whether grown or not, has an addiction problem, so much goes through the parent's mind. Some of these thoughts include, "I'm a terrible parent," "What did I do wrong?" When a child becomes addicted, a parent's heart breaks. It may look like anger or disappointment or depression, but it's all about a broken heart. A parent's heart may be broken, but that heart still hopes and prays and wants and works for the best outcome for his or her child.
Some parents get their child back and some don't. Some of these children get into recovery and all is well. Some die. Others keep using drugs. And others may quit but they are never the same again.
There's more on my mind but what I've also learned about a parent's heart is that most want to help. We are excited about the number of parents that have come forward during our heroin campaign. We hope more parents come forward for support from other parents, to volunteer, and to share their stories. I look forward to meeting each an every one of you.
Kevin Quint
Executive Director
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Heroin Education
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We have raised $8,600 toward our goal of $25,000 for our heroin prevention campaign. This is a great start, but we really need your help. Click here to make a donation. Thank you for any donation you can make.
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Andrea's Story
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If someone asks "what is the worst drug," the best answer is "the one you're using." The story below is from Andrea and her story of addiction. We at JTNN are very happy to call Andrea a friend.
To look at me you may think I am just someone's mother getting involved to make life a better place for my kids. Well it's true that I'm a mother to four wonderful children. I am also a recovering addict. I was in active addiction for about 20 years and have been clean for nearly 13 years. My drug of choice....methamphetamine
It all started around age 12 in middle school. I started to smoke cigarettes, then marijuana. I didn't like it, but I did it because my friends smoked and I wanted to fit in, be cool, and belong. Continue reading.....
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Energy Drinks and Alcohol
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A recent study indicates students who frequently drink highly caffeinated energy drinks are at greater risk for alcohol dependence.
Last month the FDA sent letters to the makers of caffeinated alcohol beverages like "Four Loko" and "Joose" stating that caffeine is an unsafe additive in alcohol. While these products are being removed from the market, you may want to have a conversation with young adults in your family about the danger of mixing alcohol with energy drinks that contain caffeine.
For more information about the FDA's actions relating to caffeinated alcoholic beverages click here.
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